Mars… sad month

The superb win in the derby couldn’t compensate for the elimination on the Champions League… and the defeat in the Coupe de la Ligue final… an unlucky month…

On March 3, really taught St-Etienne a lesson. Fred scored again from a free kick and Tiago produced a masterpiece goal. Gérard Houllier had decided to play his preferred line-up just days away from the visit of AS Roma. Juninho was the only player rested.

So then came the return leg of the tie with AS Roma. A catastrophic start to the match; Totti and Mancini both scored… OL was quite simply dominated by Luciano Spalletti’s Roman side. What disappointment! Fred broke Chivu’s nose with his elbow and picked up a 3-match suspension.

The visit of OM, in the league, accentuated the disappointment. Those damn Phocaeans equalized in the 87th minute. 6 days later, OL delivered a lesson in finishing to Nancy: Baros, Källström and Fred all made it onto the score sheet. The Lyonnais had a 16-point lead over Lens.

[IMG42785#R]Knocked out of the Champions League, the French champions had the chance to redeem themselves in the final of the Coupe de la Ligue. Alas… Alas… In alternating good and bad performances, OL crashed out in the last minute when Henrique scored. A huge disappointment in a match where Bordeaux had never looked dangerous. A very, very disappointing month of March…

A collective disappointment, but joy for Karim Benzema. Called up by Raymond Domenech, the young Lyonnais made his France debut against Austria, coming on for Cissé. 8 minutes later, he celebrated his first cap with his first goal for his country. Unforgettable!